It is still the most versatile “must have” accessory. Whether you choose the more practical Coach purses or a dainty Chanel clutch, it still does more than just look pretty, but performs the essential function of holding lipstick, cell phone and credit cards. It is still carefully created by multitudes of designers and sought after by even more customers.
Yes, it is the designer purse.
A brief history of the designer purse: The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs show baggies carried around the waist. While we know that Cleopatra did not have a Blackberry or Razor to take Marc Antony’s calls, it’s obvious that the handbag has a clear place in history.
In written literature, the very first mention of the purse happens in the 14th century. At that time, bags were attached to exterior girdles worn around the waist. It is also at that time in history when purses took their foothold as a status symbol; jewels and embroidery were used to adorn these early “Designer” purse ancestors with more obvious embellishments signifying the more liquid financial status of the wearer.
Leather and cloth were prerelevant as common materials in the 16th century, creating a more practical usability and making the bag accessible to everyone. The early forerunners of modern day suitcases and knapsacks evolved as travelers made the drawstring bad larger to hold all their worldly belongings.
Fashion dictated, as it always does, and the 18th century saw a rise of the “reticule”. As undergarments became more reveling, women’s fashions took on a slimmer form and the purse detached itself from the waist. A different bag for every occasion became in vogue and fashion magazines of the time took notice and debate how to hold a bag.
The actual “handbag” was a masculine term for hand held luggage in the early 1900’s. It was these bags used predominantly by men that inspired new bags for women which included internal compartments for female necessities. It was at this time that purses became part of the fashion industry, so when Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermes got on board with handbag design in the 1950’s, the fashion accessory as we know it today was born.
What’s in a Designer Monogram? Credited to Louis Vuitton’s son George, the now distinctive “LV” monogram was originally created to outsmart counterfeiters. A trend was born. It is those very same bags, adorned with the monogram, that now have fueled the recognizability and desire for ownership.
In keeping up with style and trends, it has become a social status race to not just own one designer bag, but as many as one can. Celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Sarah Jessica Parker push the bar even higher. Beckham is reported to own over 100 Hermes bags at a cost of over $2 million dollars while Parker in her role of Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City made the Fendi Baguette bag sought after enough that it just celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Prada makes it to the Top of the Designer Bags: Named as the “Top” by the Luxury Institute of New York in a December 2005 report: Burberry, Chanel, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Dooney & Bourke, Fendi, Gucci, Hermès, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Ralph Lauren all represented the “most recognized brands” in the designer purse hierarchy.
"As far as status goes, this is probably one of the most important fashion categories – it's the one that really shows off who you are, no matter how you are dressed," said Milton Pedraza, the Luxury Institute’s chief executive officer.
Oversized Designer Purses make you look slimmer, richer, and more important: A super big designer bag, now in vogue, is said to make the wearer look slimmer in comparison. Plus the super large bags are practical; they carry everything, double as diaper bags, are great for travel and go with everything. Super sized favorites like the Hermes Birkin or Chanel Denim Cabas announce to the world that you take your purse needs very seriously and are willing to pay for it.
Discounted Designer Purses - fashion and sense: How can one be in tune with the inner fashionista, take advantage of the slimming qualities and not break the bank? Comb your favorite Loehmann’s discount clothing stores for the latest in Designer bags and purses at huge savings. Not only will you find the very top names in many assorted styles and colors, but at savings like Loehmann’s, you can afford to buy them like Beckham and take your rightful place in fashion History.
